VIRGINIAN RAIL. 
183 
are exactly similar to those of the common Rail, from which 
genus, notwithstanding the difference of its bill, it ought not to 
be separated. 
This bird is known to some of the inhabitants along the sea- 
coast of New Jersey, by the name of Fresh-water Mud-hen, 
this last being the common appellation of the Clapper Rail, which 
the present species- resembles in every thing but size. The epi- 
thet Fresh-water, is given it because of its frequenting those 
parts of the marsh only, where fresh water springs rise through 
the bogs into the salt marshes. In these places it usually con- 
structs its nest, one of which, through the active exertions of 
my friend, Mr. Ord, while traversing with me the salt marshes 
of Cape May, we had the good fortune to discover. It was built 
in the bottom of a tuft of grass, in the midst of an almost impe- 
netrable quagmire, and was composed altogether of old wet grass 
and rushes. The eggs had been floated out of the nest by the 
extraordinary rise of the tide, in a violent north-east storm, and 
lay scattered about among the drift- weed. The female, how- 
ever, still lingered near the spot, to which she was so attached, 
as to suffer herself to be taken by hand. She doubtless intend- 
ed to repair her nest, and commence laying anew; as, during 
the few hours that she was in our possession, she laid one egg, cor- 
responding in all respects with the others. On examining those 
floated out of the nest, they contained young, perfectly formed, 
but dead. The usual number of eggs is from six to ten. They 
are shaped like those of the domestic hen, measuring one inch 
and two-tenths long, by very nearly half an inch in width, and 
are of a dirty white, or pale cream colour, sprinkled Avith specks 
of reddish, and pale purple, most numerous near the great end. 
They commence laying early in May, and probably raise two 
brood in the season. I suspect this from the circumstance of 
Mr. Ord having, late in the month of July, brought me seve- 
ral young ones, of only a few days old, which Averc caught among 
the grass, near the border of the Delaware. The parent Rail 
showed great solicitude for their safety. They Avhere wholly 
black, except a white spot on the bill; Avere covered with a fine 
